Bengal Panchayat polls violence: What is behind the clashes in the state

The announcement had been greeted by protests from the Opposition, who said that 60,000 candidates would get only five days to file nominations. Since then, the nomination process has been marred by clashes in a number of places.

What is the election for?

The Panchayati Raj system has three levels: Gram Panchayat (village level), Mandal Parishad or Block Samiti or Panchayat Samiti (block level), and Zila Parishad (district level). West Bengal has 3,317 gram panchayats, and a total of 63,283 panchayat seats. The number of village panchayat election centers is 58,594.

Why the violence?

Sporadic violence has been reported from Bhangar and Budge Budge in South 24 Parganas and Minakhan in North 24 Parganas, with the BJP, the Left and the Congress accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress of preventing their candidates from filing nominations.

Reports of violence have come from Murshidabad, Birbhum, East Midnapore, East Burdwan, Coochbehar, North and South 24 Paraganas. A few days ago, a mob entered a Block Development Office at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas and assaulted Bidyut Ghosh, an employee, for allegedly distributing nomination forms to Opposition candidates. A local Trinamool Congress leader was caught with a handgun in Murshidabad district.

The TMC has claimed innocence, and the party leadership has asked party workers to ensure a violence-free election.

What was the situation during the last Panchayat polls?

In 2018, TMC won more than 95% of gram panchayats, of which 34% of the seats were uncontested, a record in the history of Bengal Panchayat polls. Then too, the Opposition had alleged they were not allowed to submit nominations. The TMC had faced criticism over allegations of large-scale violence and poll rigging. The role of the police was also questioned.

The following year, in 2019, the ruling party’s performance in the Lok Sabha elections took a hit, with the BJP winning 18 parliamentary constituencies — its best-ever Lok Sabha performance in West Bengal.

After the State Assembly elections in 2021, the TMC again faced allegations of perpetrating violence against BJP workers and the cases went to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following the Calcutta High Court’s directions.

How has the TMC leadership reacted?

Trinamool All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee has been stressing on making the 2023 Panchayat polls violence-free. In fact, in Paschim Bardhaman, Trinamool leaders were seen offering roses and water bottles to the Opposition parties’ representatives while submitting nominations. At some other places, like Bhata in East Bardhaman, Opposition leaders were invited to tea after filing nomination papers.

Why are the Panchayat polls crucial?

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the Panchayat polls will be a litmus test for all major political camps — the Trinamool Congress, the BJP, and the Left-Congress alliance.

In the 2021 Assembly Elections, the TMC returned to power with a thumping majority despite a high-decibel campaign by the BJP spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. However, since then, there have been massive allegations of corruption against the ruling party.

TMC leaders have been arrested in the SSC scam case, and the coal smuggling and cattle smuggling cases. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has also begun a probe into the alleged municipal recruitment scam. Abhishek Banerjee is facing questioning by the CBI in the coal pilferage case and the SSC scam. The politically significant Rajbanshi community took out a protest rally in April after the death of a 17-year-old girl who had been allegedly raped.

In this scenario, the Panchayat polls will be an important indicator of which way the political wind in Bengal is blowing.